It’s been five seasons since PFF opened its doors and tackled the subject of performance-based evaluation in the NFL.

We’ve seen many breathtaking performances, whether it be over a year or in an individual game, but we’ve never really looked back on things in a longer sense. So consider that something we’re rectifying. We’ve added up the grades each player has earned over the past five seasons and then normalized their performance on every snap based on the position they lined up.

It was a more complicated process than that, but you didn’t come here to hear me yap about “process”. Here are the Top 10 graded wide receivers of the PFF era.

(Players had to have participated in at least three seasons to qualify)

1. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans (+85.3)

Johnson has been so relentlessly efficient, that you almost take for granted what he produces and are rarely blown away by him. His touchdown totals don’t earn him the press of his peers, and fantasy players are a little disappointed by his output, but people would do well to realize that outside of his injury-blighted 2011, the Texan wideout has finished in the Top 3 of our yards per route run signature stat every year.

That remarkable consistency is a huge factor in why Johnson has a higher receiving grade than all of his peers since 2008. Words really can’t do justice here.

2. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions (+81.2)

At the rate Johnson is going it won’t be long before he tops this list. Make no mistake about it, the talent was always there with Johnson, but the consistency wasn’t. It’s why despite a big yardage total in 2008 and a solid effort in 2009 our grading generally didn’t match the points he may have made for your fantasy team.

However, that changed in 2010 when Megatron cut back on the drops and upped the dominance as the Lions started to roar. He was third in our 2010 receiver rankings before his monster 2011 saw him finish first. Despite breaking records a year later he wasn’t quite as dominant, with more meaningless yards than we care for, as defenses made life difficult for him. Still, a second place finish last year is nothing to bemoan for a man who led the league with 21 receptions on deep passes last year (to go with 45 in the four years before that).

3. Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts (+70.0)

Many thought Wayne was done when Peyton Manning went down and then moved onto pastures new. But the Colts realized they still had something from their long-time receiver and re-signed him to be the go-to-guy for their rookie quarterback. The response saw Wayne catch 106 balls and finish 10th in our receiver rankings. Not bad at all given the level of talent in the league at the moment.

The truth is there was enough from Wayne in 2011 to show he still had it, it was just a lack of opportunities and catchable balls that did him in. Still, we’re not trying to kid you, it’s the work he did between 2008 and 2010 that earned him this high a spot. That was Wayne at his very best.
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OK so I've been watching the U.S. National Track Championship this weekend on TV which is the track meet used to select the athletes that represents our countrys team we send to the world championship in Moscow this year. And if this was an Olympic year this would in effect be our countrys Olympic team because its the best men and women Track & Field athletes in the country.
Of course you are saying what's that got to do with Andre Johnson or football at all ? Here's the deal: the 100 meter dash of course represents the fastest guys on the team and our top 2 finishers in that event were guys named Tyson Gay & Justin Gatlin. So it's comforting to know that these guys, who are clearly world class athletes as I think Andre Johnson is, can still be just that even though they like Johnson are both in their 30s. In other words its reassuring to know that Andre may still have lots of tread on the tires.

After this season he'll be top 20 in career receptions and yards, and still 2nd in career yards per game. That's with 5 wasted years with HWNSNBMH as his QB.

Not even close to "for sure" HOF status next year. It'll take another 6 years or so of AJ's average seasons to get him anywhere near automatic for the HOF.

It's the NFL HOF, not the Texans HOF or NFL Hall of DAMNED GOOD. Receivers will always have a hard time getting into the HOF after Carter. Owens and Moss, yes. They earned it. AJ, not so much as of yet.

__________________
"We cannot order men see the truth or prohibit them from indulging in error."

So it's comforting to know that these guys, who are clearly world class athletes as I think Andre Johnson is, can still be just that even though they like Johnson are both in their 30s. In other words its reassuring to know that Andre may still have lots of tread on the tires.

Nice sentiment, but being a WR in the NFL is about more than just speed. I think longevity for a wide receiver happens when guys start to understand the game the way a QB should.

I'm not saying Andre lost a step, but if he did there are still so many ways he can compensate for it.

Not even close to "for sure" HOF status next year. It'll take another 6 years or so of AJ's average seasons to get him anywhere near automatic for the HOF.

It's the NFL HOF, not the Texans HOF or NFL Hall of DAMNED GOOD. Receivers will always have a hard time getting into the HOF after Carter. Owens and Moss, yes. They earned it. AJ, not so much as of yet.

I was going to make the argument "for the sake of argument" that if Johnson were to retire today and given that a player must be retired for 5 years before he's eligilble for HOF consideration, the franchise would be 15 years old and the league would almost need to grant the Texans a member in the Hall at that point. To my surprise I discovered that one other team is still without a member in the HOF - the Jags. So much for that argument.
But I still think Johnson makes it, because there's politics in every organization (especially the NFL HOF selection process), and my thought is that McNair is a popular and very politically astute member of the NFLs owner club.

OK so I've been watching the U.S. National Track Championship this weekend on TV which is the track meet used to select the athletes that represents our countrys team we send to the world championship in Moscow this year. And if this was an Olympic year this would in effect be our countrys Olympic team because its the best men and women Track & Field athletes in the country.
Of course you are saying what's that got to do with Andre Johnson or football at all ? Here's the deal: the 100 meter dash of course represents the fastest guys on the team and our top 2 finishers in that event were guys named Tyson Gay & Justin Gatlin. So it's comforting to know that these guys, who are clearly world class athletes as I think Andre Johnson is, can still be just that even though they like Johnson are both in their 30s. In other words its reassuring to know that Andre may still have lots of tread on the tires.

The tread on your tires will vary, miles on them is just a factor. Being a WR is about a little more than running in a straight line. You really cant compare the two

There was an article in Indy about a month ago arguing his case. He will be in discussions but I think falls short. He has consistently been in lists of top 10 or elite receivers but I don't recall anyone pushing him as the best WR in any season even in the season he led the league in receiving yards.

There was an article in Indy about a month ago arguing his case. He will be in discussions but I think falls short. He has consistently been in lists of top 10 or elite receivers but I don't recall anyone pushing him as the best WR in any season even in the season he led the league in receiving yards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Playoffs

Has to be in the conversation. I wonder if people might hold having Peyton against him?

I'd come closer to saying having Marvin Harrison on the other side is working against him. Harrison was a Pro-Bowl and All-Pro player when Wayne got there. Harrison still has better all-time numbers in receptions (MH-1103; RW-968), yards (MH-14500; RW-13063), and TDs (Mh-128; RW-78 force opposing secondaries to have to game plan for both guys. And, in case you were wondering, Harrison played 13 yrs; Wayne has completed 12. So it's possible that Reggie closes the gap in this, his 13th year. But how do Colts' fans politic for Reggie Wayne going to the Hall without Marvin Harrison going in first?

I wonder if Reggie Wayne could/would have even compiled the numbers he has done to date if he hadn't had Marvin Harrison demanding the secondary's attention as he did when they played as a duo. Who do you think everyone's #1 CB was assigned to when they were both in their prime years?? Reggie Wayne? ummm... not for my money

To my main point, A.J. has never, never, ever, nevah had a Marvin Harrison caliber WR opposite him. Not even close. Yet he still has comparable, and some cases better, numbers to Wayne.

Through 10 years, AJ has played in 138 games, has 818 receptions for 11254 yards. That's a 13.8 clip. He has 56 TDs.

Torry Holt played 11 years (10 with StL). He played in 173 games, amassing 920 for 13382 yards. That's a 14.5 clip. He had 74 TDs.

The reason I mention Holt is because he was the fastest player to 10000 yards and 11000 yards. He retired with a record six straight seasons of 1300+ yards. He went to the Pro Bowl seven times, with two All Pro nods. He had two 1600+ yard seasons. He retired ranked 10th all time in receiving yards. He only played ten years, but the middle eight of them were legitimately great seasons. I don't think anyone seriously considers him a lock for the HOF.

That's kind of where AJ is. He's been legitimately great for a while now, but in order to get up there into HOF lock territory, he's going to have to do it for a long, long time. The WRs that have been inducted lately have put up long, enduring careers. I think AJ can do the same, but you never know with injuries. That is basically what put Holt out of the game, and I think they have very analogous careers through year 10. JMO.

One thing that I think works in AJ's favor is the expansion franchise status. He played on some really bad teams, and there's also going to be some push to get a Texan into the HOF at some point, I think.

__________________Hey O'Brien: "How do you tell a guy who is used to catching 80 balls a year that he was going to catch 40?"... You jackass.